MNDF will not contest 2010 election

10 Jul 2008, IMNA

The Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF) will not form a new party and will not contest the 2010 general election because the party did not accept the approved constitution, said MNDF Vice Chairman.

The MNDF had decided not to contest the elections which will be stage managed by the Burmese military junta.

"We will not contest. Even Mon people should not because the constitution was drafted for the army to retain power in the country and it will not benefit people," Nai Ngwe Thein told IMNA.

"We believe if we continue to struggle, one day we will get real democracy," he added.

MNDF was founded in 1988 and it won five seats in the 1990 election. But the party was abolished by the Burmese military junta in 1992 with other ethnic pro-democracy parties.

MNDF was illegally moved with other ethnic pro-democracy parties and the National League for Democracy which fared well in the 1990 elections.

The military government runs the New Light of Myanmar recently reported that the result was no longer valid and NLD should contest the 2010 election.

"The 1990 election result is legal because after the election no one decided when parliament would expire," Nai Ngwe Thein said.

He also asked the Mon community to avoid getting involved in the election. But the New Mon State Party splinter group led by former party's army chief Maj.Gen Aung Naing stated that his group will contest the election and asked people for support.

However the main armed political party has not decided whether they would join the elections. Although the NMSP sent representatives to the national convention which was drafting the constitution and later just sent observers, the junta ignored its inputs along with 13 ethnic other cease-fire groups.